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As we reach the end of July and into August when the sun is hot and tomatoes ripen on the vine, we hear much about heirloom tomato varieties. But what are heirloom tomatoes and what makes them so much better than the other store-bought varieties we are used to?
Firstly, tomatoes that are found in the wild in Latin America, from where all tomatoes originate, are small, sweet berry-like fruits. The big red, plump tomatoes we find in our stores today started off as these wild tomatoes in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, from the Solanum lycopersicum plant and then of course, were exported around the world.
Around five centuries of selective breeding has given us the tomato we know today. Farmers and growers selected certain plants to breed for their characteristics—like maturation speed, color, disease resistance, and so on—but in general, these growers were focused on what made the practice of tomato growing more profitable rather than end taste and flavor. So, while we get more consistently round, red, and uniform tomatoes that last longer on the supermarket shelf or in transportation, they lack the flavor found in older, so-called heirloom varieties.
Heirloom varieties like Cherokee purple, black krim, green zebra ,and brandywine tomatoes are vastly different, from each other, but also from standard tomatoes. They have different, often non-uniform shapes, a different flesh consistency, and are packed full of flavor. These tomatoes have undergone less genetic manipulation as the seeds are carefully selected from the plants with the best characteristics and passed down from generation to generation. While they have been bred to have certain qualities, their genetic modification is considerably less. They are often open-pollinated, which means organically, by the birds and the bees.
There has been much hype about heirloom tomatoes in recent years, leading many mass producers of tomatoes to label their breeds as heirloom. Just because something is called heirloom doesn’t mean it will taste better. So, if you want to be sure you’re getting the real thing you should buy your tomatoes from the farmers’ market, where you can talk to the actual grower and learn all about their methods and varieties. These farmers are passionate people, and they are always more than happy to talk you through their produce. The best way though, to ensure you get the best heirloom tomatoes though, is to grow them yourself.
Tomatoes are very easy to grow, even in a window box. You can grow heirlooms from seed, or from small plants. They only need attention, they enjoy sunlight but not too much direct sunlight, and they need water, but not too much. The only thing you need to watch out for are diseases and pests, but if you choose your hardy heirloom variety carefully, you will enjoy delicious ripe, plump tomatoes in August.
How to use heirloom tomatoes
The very best way to eat tomatoes is fresh off the vine, washed and eaten raw, with an addition of extra virgin olive oil and salt, and that’s all. In the south of Italy, they say that the best tomatoes shouldn’t need any salt at all.
However, tomatoes are of course incredibly versatile and there is literally no end to what you can do with them in the kitchen. Have a look at this list of 21 different types of tomatoes and how to use them.
Tomatoes are like onions and garlic and form the basis of so many world cuisines. Here is a round-up of Michelin Star chefs and how they use tomatoes in their dishes for fine dining inspiration.
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